NAMA advocates synergy of flight information regions

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Capt. Fola Akinkuotu

Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has advocated an enhanced synergy among Flight Information Regions (FIRs) within the African and Indian Ocean Region (AFI Region) as this would further improve the safety profile of the region.

Managing Director of the agency, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, recently at a five-day Air Traffic System Investigator Workshop in Lagos, said NAMA on its part would strive towards building regional bridges in order to keep pace with latest trends, especially in air traffic management in a dynamic aviation industry.

Akinkuotu said such regional cooperation becomes more compelling with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) goal of entrenching harmony and seamlessness in every facet of International Civil Aviation.

While commending ICAO for availing Nigeria the opportunity to host the workshop, Akinkuotu said the benefits of the meeting are enormous as “the workshop would provide participants with knowledge and skills of Air Traffic System (ATS), incident reporting and investigation especially for operational personnel of Air Navigation Service Providers such as NAMA.”

Speaking further, the NAMA boss said: “The quality of air navigation services, particularly air traffic services has been subjected to integrity tests going by the streams of Air Safety Reports received from our airspace users.

“However, the quality of incidents investigation on the other hand should impact positively on the corrective action plan that would minimise future re-occurrence, in a just culture environment, which is the essence of this workshop.”

Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, who was represented by the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Mohammed Odunowo, added that global economic and demographic statistics indicated that Africa would experience significant increase in population, expansion in economic activities, as well as increased demand for air transport services in the near future.

Odunowo said: “While the above trend indicates great potentials and opportunities for the African economy as well as aviation sector, it also places immense responsibility on relevant aviation authorities towards the enhancement of Air Traffic Management capacity, efficiency and safety performance.”